Background
Truth was born Isabella Baumfree, a slave, in New York 1797. She was sold to different owners many times in her early life and witnessed firsthand the cruelty of slavery. She had five children, one of which died at a very young age. Truth is best known for her speeches. She worked towards reforms in many areas, especially women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
Emancipation and Court Case
New York legislation on the emancipation of slavery started in 1799 and made it so that slaves would be free by 1827. Truth's slaveholder, John Dumont, agreed to free her a year earlier than New York legislation required. However, he went back on this deal when he did not think Truth's work was satisfactory. Truth continued her work for him until late 1826, when she left for freedom with her infant daughter. She had to leave her other children because they had not yet been legally emancipated by New York law. Truth and her daughter stayed with the Van Wagener family, who paid for Truth's work, until the New York State Emancipation Act went into effect one year later. Sojourner Truth found out that her young son had been illegally sold to a slaveholder in Alabama, and, with the help of the Van Wageners, took the case to court. Truth's court victory marked the first time a black woman went against a man in court and won.
Religion
During her time with the Van Wageners, Truth became a very devoted Christian. She met many religiously influential people in the next couple of years such as Elijah Pierson and Robert Matthews. In 1843, she changed her name from Isabella Baumfree to Sojourner Truth and became a Methodist. She traveled and spoke for the abolition of slavery. Truth joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in 1844. The group supported many reforms such as the abolition of slavery, women's rights, and religious tolerance. Though the group disassembled in 1846 because it could not sustain itself, Truth met many influential reformers and ideas for reformation. One of the many people she met was William Lloyd Garrison. He published her book, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave, in 1850.
Speeches
Truth was perhaps best known for her speeches. One of her first major speeches was at the first National Women's Rights Convention in 1850. Her famous, "Ain't I a Woman," speech was given at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851. There are many different accounts of this particular speech, and some of them are very different. In this speech, Truth said that women could do all the work that men could, speaking of her hard work as a slave, and spoke of many things from the Bible. Truth gave many other speeches throughout her life for many audiences. She was often met with criticism, but would react well to her audience and find ways around their negative reactions. She would often criticize her audiences for "hissing" at her. She once even revealed her breasts to an audience when somebody accused her of being a man.
References
Frances Dana Barker Gage helped organize the 1851 Ohio Women's Rights Convention at which Truth gave her "Ain't I a Woman" speech. Gage was there for Truth's famous, influential speech. She also wrote one of the more famous recordings of "Ain't I a Woman," writing Truth's language to sound more like a southern slave even though Truth was born in New York.
Truth worked with Marius Robinson from 1851 to 1853. He was the editor of the Ohio Anti-Slavery Bugle. During that time, she spent a lot of her time traveling through Ohio giving speeches.
Background
Truth was born Isabella Baumfree, a slave, in New York 1797. She was sold to different owners many times in her early life and witnessed firsthand the cruelty of slavery. She had five children, one of which died at a very young age. Truth is best known for her speeches. She worked towards reforms in many areas, especially women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
Emancipation and Court Case
New York legislation on the emancipation of slavery started in 1799 and made it so that slaves would be free by 1827. Truth's slaveholder, John Dumont, agreed to free her a year earlier than New York legislation required. However, he went back on this deal when he did not think Truth's work was satisfactory. Truth continued her work for him until late 1826, when she left for freedom with her infant daughter. She had to leave her other children because they had not yet been legally emancipated by New York law. Truth and her daughter stayed with the Van Wagener family, who paid for Truth's work, until the New York State Emancipation Act went into effect one year later. Sojourner Truth found out that her young son had been illegally sold to a slaveholder in Alabama, and, with the help of the Van Wageners, took the case to court. Truth's court victory marked the first time a black woman went against a man in court and won.
Religion
During her time with the Van Wageners, Truth became a very devoted Christian. She met many religiously influential people in the next couple of years such as Elijah Pierson and Robert Matthews. In 1843, she changed her name from Isabella Baumfree to Sojourner Truth and became a Methodist. She traveled and spoke for the abolition of slavery. Truth joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in 1844. The group supported many reforms such as the abolition of slavery, women's rights, and religious tolerance. Though the group disassembled in 1846 because it could not sustain itself, Truth met many influential reformers and ideas for reformation. One of the many people she met was William Lloyd Garrison. He published her book, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave, in 1850.
Speeches
Truth was perhaps best known for her speeches. One of her first major speeches was at the first National Women's Rights Convention in 1850. Her famous, "Ain't I a Woman," speech was given at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851. There are many different accounts of this particular speech, and some of them are very different. In this speech, Truth said that women could do all the work that men could, speaking of her hard work as a slave, and spoke of many things from the Bible. Truth gave many other speeches throughout her life for many audiences. She was often met with criticism, but would react well to her audience and find ways around their negative reactions. She would often criticize her audiences for "hissing" at her. She once even revealed her breasts to an audience when somebody accused her of being a man.
References
Frances Dana Barker Gage helped organize the 1851 Ohio Women's Rights Convention at which Truth gave her "Ain't I a Woman" speech. Gage was there for Truth's famous, influential speech. She also wrote one of the more famous recordings of "Ain't I a Woman," writing Truth's language to sound more like a southern slave even though Truth was born in New York.
Truth worked with Marius Robinson from 1851 to 1853. He was the editor of the Ohio Anti-Slavery Bugle. During that time, she spent a lot of her time traveling through Ohio giving speeches.
Work Cited
"Internet History Sourcebooks." Internet History Sourcebooks. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sojtruth-woman.asp>.
"Sojourner Truth." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sojourner_Truth>.